This invention relates to sailboards, and in particular to methods of securing masts to sailboards.
In wind-driven vehicles, such as sailboards, iceboats, wind-surfing boards, skateboards and sleds, the mast which supports the sail must be firmly secured to the base board to withstand strong winds and the pulling forces required to position the sail appropriately to achieve maximal speed. Rapidly shifting winds, road obstacles (in the case of land vehicles) and waves (in the case of sailboats and surfboards) are the caused of frequent upsets of the vehicle, presenting a hazard to the rider and considerable difficult in returning the vehicle and mast to their upright position. When the vehicle begins to topple, the mast merely increases the difficulty of the rider in righting the vehicle, and depending on the wind condition and the weight of the mast, frequently makes the vehicle more unstable than it would otherwise have been.
Existing joints connecting the mast to the base board do little to alleviate this problem. Such joints include multi-axis universal joints as well as spring-biased detent cam arrangements. The most effective solution, however, would be a quick-connect/quickdisconnect joint, which would enable the rider to quickly separate the mast from the base board when needed, such as when changing the board or sailing rigging.